MSc Global Investment Banking Programme Specification

Programme Summary

The MSc in Global Investment Banking is an applied degree programme  which  offers a unique and innovative pedagogical experience, with employability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing embedded throughout.

The programme has been developed in collaboration with Financial Edge Training, a key educational provider in the sector. The broad and rigorous academic content covers the entire interdisciplinary breadth of knowledge required to be effective in an Investment Banking Analyst role. Consequently the experience is deeply pedagogically experiential by design.

Employability is at the core of the programme, it is taught by Investment Banking practitioners, using content developed in collaboration with Wall Street’s top tier investment banks, with a view to providing students with rich toolkit of sector specific skills, enabling them to be effective in the role of an Investment Banking Analyst on completion of the programme.

The programme is specifically designed for individuals seeking to develop the skill set required for an Analyst role and offers an alternative route into the role to individuals that have not undertaken an internship.

Financial Edge has an extensive and established Alumni network which students on the programme can access.

The programme will be taught in collaboration with Financial Edge Training. The partner will provide the specialist content, with Northeastern University London (the University) embedding “soft” skills into every course. This element of the programme will be led by faculty from the University’s Launch programme, and delivered in conjunction with faculty from the Academic Writing team.

Programme Integration

The broad and rigorous academic content covers the entire interdisciplinary breadth of knowledge, skills and resources required to be effective in a global investment banking analyst role. The programme is based on industry requirements, skills-focused, and emphasises the importance of ethical investment advice. Frequently, course materials and assessment briefs will integrate live financial data, ensuring the content remains accurate in a rapidly changing sector. The capstone project is a sustained piece of practice-based analysis on an agreed topic.

Full Time Programme Structure

Semester 1

FELBUSI7208 Role of the Financial Analyst in Investment Banking (online) (Non-Credit)

FELBUSI7209 Accounting & Financial Investment (Investor Perspective) – Required Course I (30 credits)

FELBUSI7210 Financial Modelling (including Forecasting & Planning) – Required Course II (30 credits)

Semester 2

FELBUSI7211 Corporate Valuation (including Budgeting & Private Equity) – Required Course I (30 credits)

FELBUSI7213 Deal Structuring (Merger & Acquisition Analysis and Private Equity & Venture Investing) – Required Course I (30 credits)

Semester 3

FELBUSI7212 Financing (including Equity Capital Markets, Debt, Private Markets) – Required Course II (15 credits)

FELBUSI7214 Final Project – Required Course II (45 credits)

FELBUSI7215 Speed-hiring event(s) (Non-Credit)

Part Time Programme Structure

N/A

Entrance Requirements

Entry requirements – Investment Banking recruiters favour post graduate candidates from diverse first-degree academic backgrounds, the programme’s entry requirements are reflective of this. Our typical offer for postgraduate study is an upper second-class honours undergraduate degree (or the equivalent), but each applicant will be assessed on an individual basis, including relevant professional experience where applicable. If English is not an applicant’s native language, they will need to demonstrate proficiency in English in order to study at the University. For a list of equivalencies, please check the University’s entry requirements. There are no specific discipline requirements as prerequisite programmes of study. The Banking sector values and welcomes recruits from all disciplines.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Where a student wishes to apply for the recognition of prior learning on the basis of certificated or experiential learning, they should follow the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

Aims of the Programme

The overall aim of the programme is to:

• Provide a teaching and learning environment which achieves the above aims by enabling students to demonstrate the learning outcomes below.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

A student will be able to: 

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Professional Skills

For the exit awards see Appendix A.

Map of Courses to Programme Learning Outcomes

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Teaching Methods

• Seminars, including some with student presentations
• Small classes
• Student presentations
• Online discussion forums
• Individual supervisions  for the Final Project (which support both written and oral communication skills)
• (Mock) examination and examiner’s report
• (Structured) independent study and research

At the University, we teach in small groups and are committed to providing individual attention and guidance. Seminars and workshops always include student interaction and dialogue.

In addition to subject specific content, students will receive support to develop a series of soft skills during the first five courses. These will include:

• Time management
• Managing your career
• Getting ready for work
• Presenting information graphically
• Communicating a story
• Presentation skills
• Negotiation skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Behavioural economics
• Ethics
• Building personal and professional resilience
• Disruption in the finance industry

These topics will be delivered alongside the courses for 1 hour  per course per week and support students to develop the skills required to complete their assessments successfully, and feed into the strong employability narrative of the programme.

Learning Opportunities

The regular research seminars offer a lively and varied menu of talks and discussions involving both internal and invited speakers. Global Investment Banking students are invited and encouraged to attend these.

Students will also be encouraged to attend the broad programme of liberal-arts professorial lectures at the University.

Inclusive Teaching and Learning

The Social Sciences Faculty and Business Studies Faculty are  deeply committed to widening participation in Global Investment Banking, both through outreach activities and through a teaching environment that is inclusive towards a variety of backgrounds and learning styles. Colleagues at Financial Edge Training will be supported to deliver inclusive classes and assessments. Members of the faculty are much engaged in the public dissemination of their discipline, visiting a wide range of schools, hosting open lectures, engaging with the media, and publishing in accessible formats. Financial Edge Training will complement this activity via its direct engagement with the investment banking sector.

The high staff-student ratio at the University is especially important to the faculty’s ability to give individualised attention to students, and thus to be inclusive towards a variety of backgrounds and learning styles. The faculty facilitates a wide range of academic and social events in which academics and students are brought together.

The University will make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, in accordance with the recommendations of the Where necessary, following consultation with the, alternative forms of assessment may be offered.

The variety of modes of assessment in this programme may render it more inclusive than those which assess in more uniform ways.

E-Learning

Students will join 15,000 Wall Street analysts who use Felix. As part of their Masters Financial Edge will share access to an all-in-one toolkit for success in finance.

Students access the online course content (including  downloadable industry and transaction models, valuation data on 4,000+ firms and over 2,500 precise instructor-led videos via a search system of tags, acronyms and titles.

The supporting library resources grow each week and cover a wide range of topics, from fundamentals to the more advanced.

Students can save videos for later and build their own library. They also have access to an experienced instructor team, which commits to respond to questions within 48 hours. Financial Edge’s company analytics tools enable students to quickly access key financials for every quoted company in the United States of America (USA). Each company dashboard contains direct links to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, critical company fundamentals, Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), comparables, earnings etc..

From the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Reserve to Xignite and Factset, students can combine multiple trusted data sources to provide a reliable and accurate reference. All critical data usage must be externally validated.

Students can view, filter and download up-to-date industry and market data curated by Financial Edge Training’s data team. Sheets include Enterprise Value (EV) and equity multiples, cost of debt and equity, capital efficiency, growth, profitability, returns, capital structure analysis and more.

Students can download ready-to-use sector and transaction models and access supporting playlists. Sector models include banking, life insurance, oil and gas, Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance, pharma, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and telecoms. Transaction models include divestiture, Initial Public Offering (IPO), Leveraged Buyout (LBO) and merger.

The University ensures students are supported outside of class contact time by means of a virtual learning environment, through which students access learning materials and communicate with fellow students and faculty.

All members of Financial Edge Training have been chosen on the basis of their experience of working in global investment banking and/or research activity, as well as their talents in teaching, and are encouraged to remain active in their research and consultancy field. The teaching has been developed and allocated on the basis of research interests and expertise.

Assessment

Assessment Methods

Assessment is in a variety of modes:

• Examination
• Coursework essay
• Portfolio
• Conference-style presentation with PowerPoint or handout
• Research Methods
• Dissertation / Extended Project

Appendix B is the programme structure and assessment summary.

Assessment Regulations

The University’s Assessment Regulations can be found here.

Student Support

Disabilities and/or Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs)

Students are strongly encouraged to inform the University of any medical conditions, disabilities, specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or neurological differences as soon as is practical. Students will be asked to submit supporting documentation from a doctor, clinical or educational psychologist detailing the nature of their disability and the impact it is likely to have on their studies in order to help us put in place appropriate support and accommodations. More information can be found in the Student Disability Policy here. This data is managed and securely stored by Student Support and Development (SSD). During Freshers’ Week, a number of talks and events are held which are designed to support and inform students with regard to mental health, disabilities, safety and learning support.

SSD meet with students as soon as possible, and preferably before the start of the academic year, to discuss their needs and draft a Learning Support Plan (LSP) which outlines the support to be provided both within the University (if appropriate) and externally. If requested by the student, the SDD will then arrange to inform relevant faculty of  the student’s needs and any reasonable adjustments required.

If a student is undiagnosed but believes they may have a SpLDS (e.g. Dyslexia) the SDD will help them to access diagnostic services.  If the assessment confirms a SpLDS, the SDD will work the student in preparing a LSP and will provide advice about accessing additional funding and support through the Disabled Students Allowance, where a student may be eligible.

For more information, please click here.

Employability Skills

Employability is embedded throughout the programme by virtue of the learning and assessment activities. Students will:

• Understand what an investment bank does, how it serves its clients and how it’s structured. Before students interview for an investment banking role they will need a clear idea of the role they want to apply for and the skills they  will need.
• Master the skills needed for a career in banking. Learn financial statement analysis, financial modelling, company valuation and deal structuring the Wall Street way.
• Understand what recruiters are looking for from investment banking applicants. Financial Edge works closely with the world’s largest investment banks, and students benefit from their insight into the investment banking recruitment process.

Careers Education, Information and Guidance

Masters students will have access to the University’s Careers Advisory Service. This includes employer receptions with representatives from a wide range of sectors and our electronic Careers Centre, containing features and functionality for careers guidance, interview advice and job searching.

In addition, Careers Advisers, supplemented with support from tutors, offer advice, often one-to-one, on securing a professional future tailored to students’ skills and ambitions.

Quality Evaluation and Enhancement

Award Standards

Every programme of study is developed by the Faculties, utilising their subject specialists and approved by the University’s Academic Board.

Review and Evaluation Mechanisms

• The University has robust procedures, as described in AQF4 Programme and Course Approval and Modifications and AQF5 Annual Monitoring and Reporting, in place to assure the quality of the programme development, delivery, management, systematic monitoring and ongoing review and enhancement of all University programmes. Enhancements are made as necessary to ensure that systems remain effective and rigorous.
• The University utilises constructive feedback from a variety of sources, internal and external, to inform its decision-making process to enhance the programme and student experiences. These feedback sources are listed below:
• Annual Course Reviews, written by the Course Leader, are prepared to enable the Course Leader to reflect on the course, using a variety of data and student/faculty feedback to enhance the course and support the in writing of the Annual Programme Review.
• Annual Programme Reviews, written at the end of each academic year, are prepared in order to enhance individual programmes and to plan ahead.
• Annual External Examiner Reports are prepared by the External Examiners, as appointed by the University, to confirm that a programme has been assessed in accordance with the approved documentation and that the student performance meets the appropriate academic standards.
• Formal student feedback mechanisms consist of course questionnaires and Student-Staff Liaison Committee meetings at least once each semester, as well as annual student satisfaction surveys, including external independent surveys, such as the National Student Survey.

Informal student feedback is also valued by the University and this can take the form of students talking or corresponding with faculty or professional staff.

Version History

Disclaimer 

The University has checked the information provided in this Programme Specification and will aim to deliver this programme in keeping with this Programme Specification. However, changes to the programme may sometimes be required arising from annual monitoring, student feedback, and the review and update of courses and programmes. Where this activity leads to significant changes to courses and programmes there will be prior consultation with students and others, wherever possible, and the University will take all reasonable steps to minimise disruption to students. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a course or programme for reasons outside of its control, for example, due to the absence of a member of staff or low student registration numbers. Where this is the case, the University will aim to inform applicants and students as soon as possible, and where appropriate, will facilitate the transfer of affected students to another suitable programme.

Copyright 

The contents of this Programme Specification are the copyright of the University and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, such as electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior consent of the University

Appendix A – Exit Awards

Postgraduate Certificate

3 x 20 credit Level 7 courses = 60 credits

Postgraduate Diploma

6 x 20 credit level 7 courses = 120 credits

Appendix B – Exit Awards

COURSE TYPE:   C = Compulsory; O = Option.

COURSE MODE:   CD = Campus Delivery; BK = Block Delivery; BL = Blended Learning; DL = Distance Learning and Self-Directed Learning; EL = E-Learning; EX = Experiential; PL = Placement; WB = Work Based Learning,

ASSESSMENT WEIGHTING: AE1 = Assessment Element 1; AE2 = Assessment Element 2; AE3 = Assessment Element 3; AE4 = Assessment Element 4